ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · field · ground · lash · mug · stand · straw · rush

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — a subject
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — farmland
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com